Vijay: The Star Who Has Been Rehearsing for Politics |
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New Delhi: On May 10, when actor and Thamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Joseph Vijay threw his hands open and raised his fist while taking oath as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, the audience caught a glimpse of the theatrics that the state has long been familiar with.
For nearly three decades, Vijay has occupied a unique space in Tamil Nadu’s public imagination. To millions of fans, he is a matinee idol with enormous box-office power. To the film industry, he is one of Tamil cinema’s last surviving mass superstars. But to political observers, Vijay has long appeared to be something else entirely. He was a man discreetly preparing for public life.
With the launch of his political party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), that transition was no longer speculative. Defying opinion and exit polls, Vijay’s TVK won a stunning 108 seats in the state assembly elections with a vote share of 35%.
Vijay’s political rise did not emerge overnight. It has been carefully staged over years, through films, symbolism, public interventions and sometimes, calculated silences.
Born Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar in 1974 to film director S.A. Chandrasekhar and playback singer Shoba Chandrasekhar, Vijay entered cinema with the burden of expectation and the stigma of nepotism.
In fact, when delivering a speech after taking oath as the Chief Minister, Vijay said he was born to an assistant director and was well aware of poverty and hunger.
His early years in Tamil cinema were uneven. Films like Naalaiya Theerpu and Sendhoorapandi gave him visibility, but he was not initially viewed as a natural performer or future superstar. Critics often questioned his screen presence, dialogue delivery and dancing.
Also read: ‘New Era of Real, Secular, Social Justice Starts Now,’ Vijay Says After Taking Oath
The turning point came in 1996 with Poove Unakkaga, directed by Vikraman. The film transformed Vijay’s image completely. He became the soft-spoken romantic hero capable of carrying emotional dramas. A string of family-oriented hits followed, including Love Today, Kadhalukku Mariyadhai and Thulladha Manamum Thullum. By the late 1990s, Vijay had built a loyal youth and family audience.
The next phase of his........